Joel Wolfson Photographic Artist

  • Home
  • About Joel
  • Workshops
    • U.S. Workshops
    • International Photo|Non-Photo
      • Photo
      • Non-Photo
    • Brochure
    • FAQs
    • Past Workshops
    • Testimonials
  • Galleries
    • Latest
    • Southwestern U.S.
    • Overseas
    • Infrared
    • Black & White
    • People
    • Different
  • For Photographers
    • Discounts Favorites Links
    • Learning
    • Videos
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Articles / Bokeh in Perspective

March 10, 2016 by Joel Wolfson 3 Comments

Bokeh in Perspective

Bokeh in Perspective

Why all the Hype?

Although this shot isn't about bokeh it is OF bokeh and therefore one might be concerned about the actual bokeh and whether the relative aesthetic quality of bokeh does or does not affect the purity of the message. Naturally this type of image is not only abstract but relatively rare.
Although this image may not be about bokeh it is of bokeh and therefore one might be concerned about the actual bokeh and whether the relative quality of bokeh does or does not have an impact on the effectiveness of the image. However, I believe images where bokeh is a main subject, being created for artistic purposes (as opposed to lens reviews) are relatively rare. [Nikon D800E, Nikkor 28-300 at 68mm, 1/80 f5.6 ISO 12,800, noise reduced with  Topaz DeNoise 6]

So what the heck is bokeh and what is all the hype over it? First, let’s define it. Bokeh refers to the aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas in an image*. Usually it means the specular highlights although I’ve seen bokeh used to refer to any area that is out of focus. To be specific it only refers to out of focus areas, not any other kind of blurring like motion blur.

Why is there so much hype over bokeh? My best answer is that it’s an obsession of photographers and others in the photography industry. If you’ve seen a lens review in the last several years you’ll see lots of attention, even special sections, dedicated to discussing and showing the bokeh of a lens at various apertures and in different situations. I recently ran across a new line of professional lenses from a major manufacturer proudly touting that one of the 2 main design goals is pleasing bokeh.

If you look at the big picture (pun intended), especially from the perspective of the non-bokeh-aware population who buy or view photography you might conclude this is over the top. After all, would you buy a high performance car based on how comfortable it is to sit in the trunk? As long as manufacturers aren’t compromising more important aspects of lens design over their concern with bokeh, it’s hard to blame them for catering to those who review or buy their lenses. So it’s our responsibility as photographers to consider this one characteristic of lenses in perspective. Here’s why.

Viewers and buyers don’t notice

I make my full time living selling fine art photography to a wide range of patrons from serious collectors to the average consumer and everyone in between. I’ve sold thousands of images over the years and have yet to hear a single comment about the bokeh in an image, even from photo savvy collectors.

Visual Design and Composition

One of the key principles of visual design is that of having the most important part(s) of your image in focus, hence drawing attention to those areas and by default, out of focus areas don’t have attention drawn to them.

If you are scrutinizing the bokeh in the background of this simple portrait then you have missed the point of the image- a simple portrait of a little girl.
One could point out that there is nice bokeh in this image BUT if you are scrutinizing the bokeh of this photograph then you have totally missed the point of the image. As a side note I gave no consideration to bokeh when purchasing the lens used to make this photo and didn’t think about bokeh when I shot it- I was too busy concentrating on my subject. [Sony A7R II, Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8 1/250 f2.5, ISO 10,000 no noise reduction]
Another principle of visual design is that our eyes tend to gravitate to the brightest part of an image. Therefore, a very bright part of your image, such as out-of-focus highlights that are not part of your main subject can distract the viewer and simply shouldn’t be in your image if your image is to be as successful as possible. Why do I mention this? Because this is one of the few scenarios where a viewer might even notice bokeh. And then does it really matter if a viewer starts pondering whether the bokeh is smooth, nervous, circular, has fringing, or any of the other characteristics talked about in lens reviews?

The only people looking at bokeh, especially those scrutinizing it, seem to be photographers. And only a select subset of photographers that place importance on bokeh. From what I can find out the term “bokeh” was coined in 1997 but over time there has been a growing fixation with it. It is now part of nearly every lens review you see.

Unless you are a lens reviewer or perhaps one who regularly shoots abstracts where your main subject is purposely out-of-focus areas, you may be misplacing your priorities to worry too much about bokeh or to make a choice about buying a lens based on its bokeh characteristics. If you are in a situation when you are shopping for lenses where there are two with virtually the same quality and cost but one has nicer bokeh, then by all means use that for the tie breaker.

However, as serious photographers, we really need to keep this concern over bokeh in perspective.

*Because bokeh is really an english word taken from a Japanese word there isn’t a clearly defined way to pronounce it but most people pronounce it like bow (rhymes with oh) – keh (like the Ke in the name Ken)

Happy Shooting!

Joel

Button bar for blog BLUE

©B_Wolfson_Joel_bio_chopper_160px_1

Joel Wolfson is an internationally published photographer who loves teaching as much as shooting. He shares his 25+ years of experience as a working pro with other photographers and enthusiasts by way of his workshops, 1 on 1 training, webinars, articles, blog and speaking engagements. His technical articles have been translated for use in more than 30 countries yet he is best known for his artistic images of nature’s fleeting moments and unexpected views of everyday places around the globe. He is one of the pioneers of digital photography having conducted digital photography seminars for Apple and other corporations starting in the early 90s.  His roster of notable clients includes numerous publications and fortune 500 companies. He currently works with great affiliates like Topaz Labs and Arizona Highways to have more avenues for working with those wanting to pursue their love of photography. His goal is to make learning and improving one’s photography easy, fun and rewarding.

Filed Under: Articles, Fine Art, Photo Tips and Techniques

« Is The Mirrorless Honeymoon Over?
Fuji X-Pro2, A Love-Hate Relationship »

Comments

  1. Sara Goodnick says

    March 10, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Great observation Joel! I just read an article (probably the same one) that pointed out the beautiful bokeh with the 9 aperture blades of a very expensive pro lens. I’m sure it’s true, but like you, I find those specular highlights problematic no matter how pretty they might be in all of their bokeh finery.

    Reply
  2. David Daniel says

    March 11, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    Seems to me I’m usually trying to get rid of the bokeh!

    Reply
  3. Brian Hayward says

    March 12, 2016 at 9:55 pm

    Thanks for your insight – I have never figured out what the fuss is about and usually associate it with specular highlites

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Be the First to Hear the Latest from Joel

100% safe and confidential.
We never share your info.

Search Posts

Categories

  • Articles
  • Behind The Images
  • Fine Art
  • Fuji X Professional System
  • Infrared
  • Photo Tips and Techniques
    • Learning
  • photography
  • Reviews
  • Travel
  • Workshops

Archives

Phone: (928) 526-3726
Email: info@joelwolfson.com

Copyright © 2023 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in